FALCONS — THE SAKER, GOSHAWK, HOBBY, ETC. 167 



arranged longitudinally. Altogether, the hobby is agentleman 

 both in appearance and daring. He gets his speed partly 

 from his elegant "lines" which enable him to pass through 

 the air with the least possible friction, but mainly from the 

 immense relative power of his wing muscles and the length 

 of his primaries, which when folded remind one of those of 

 the swallow tribe, as their points cross each other over the 

 tail. His lack of size and weight prevents the hobby from 

 attacking anything larger than small birds, and his use in 

 hawking is thus necessarily restricted, but he was at one 

 time very popular for flights at birds from the partridge 

 downwards. Pere David found the hobby in all parts of 

 China known to him. I have seen several cross the Racecourse 

 at Shanghai, and only two or three months ago I had the 

 pleasure of watching one seated comfortably on a rail within 

 twenty or thirty yards of the Grand Stand entrance. 

 He was apparently in fine feather, and did not resent 

 examination at the distance named. 



Besides hawking for snipe, quail, thrushes, larks, and 

 such-like winged game, the hobby will also take the larger 

 insects, dragon-flies, beetles, etc. In many cases when after 

 larger prey, the male and female hunt together, a combination 

 which must render escape practically impossible. 



The merlin {F. aesalon) is somewhat smaller than the 

 hobby, but not much. It is possessed of a far more 

 distinctly buff under covering and finer black markings which 

 thus distinguish it from the hobby. It is, moreover, of 

 stouter build. Owing to this it does not hesitate to attack 

 birds which very much outweigh it, plovers, pigeons, and 

 partridges falling frequent victims of its talons. Shore 

 birds such as the dotterel, dunlin, and others are sometimes 

 followed even over the water. 



In England the merlin is only a winter visitant to 

 the southern counties. It is, however, sedentary in Scotland, 

 and the other northern parts of Europe. I cannot say 

 positively whether it is often seen in this latitude. There is 

 a specimen from Foochow in the Shanghai Museum, a dainty 

 little bird, instinct with spirit and courage. So eager in 

 pursuit is the merlin that, unlike the peregrine, itdoesnotgive 

 up when its quarry has reached the shelter of trees, but will 

 dart in amongst them and take its prey amongst the branches. 

 So keen is it in the chase that many instances are known of 

 its having pursued birds through windows into houses. 

 Once a partridge thus driven took refuge in a church 

 during service time, its fierce pursuer leaving it there. 

 Other birds followed by the merlin have been known to 

 come for safety to pedestrians walking across country. 



